The year 1927 is the year that saw the triumph of the Musketeers at the Davis Cup, the landing of Lindbergh at Orly field in Paris, and the birth of Hubert deGivenchy who was born in Beauvais (France).

From a very early are Givenchy showed a great interest in fashion. When he was 10 he attended the Paris World's Fair and witnessed in the Pavilion of Elegance, 30 models from the most famous French houses of couture. At that point it was already set in his mind that he would become a fashion designer.

The allied victory over the German occupation led Hubert de Givenchy to move to Paris where he began his studies with Jacques Fath. From there he moved on to Robert Piguet, becoming an assistant to Lucien Lelong's after Christian Dior left him. During that same (1947), Elsa Schiaparelli hired Givenchy to manage her Paris boutique at Place Vendôme. He remained in this position for four years.

February 2nd 1952, saw the fulfillment of Hubert de Givenchy's dream when he opened at No8, rue Alfred de Vigny, on the Monceau Plain, his own Maison de Couture. He had immediate success with his first collection. The brand’s icon became Bettina Graziani, who is at one and the same time both a model and press agent for the company.

By 1953 Givenchy had met Audrey Hepburn, which became a training point for him. He saw her as the actual incarnation of his ideal of femininity. They were friends for a total of 40-years during which the actress became the brand's international ambassador. Givenchy's image of refined elegance is demonstrated by Hepburn through such films as Funny Face, Breakfast At Tiffany's, and Sabrina which are shown throughout the world.

During that same time Hubert de Givenchy begin his relationship with Cristobal Balenciaga, whose influence appears within the spirit of many of the Givenchy collections, and can be clearly seen as an element of the designer's preference for clothing that is structured and minimalist.

Over the decades the Givenchy brand became diversified. In 1973 Givenchy introduced his line of menswear and went international.

In 1995 Givenchy retired and John Galliano, who has been three times elected by the British Fashion Council as "Designer of the Year", became the new designer. He was followed by Alexander McQueen in October of 1997.

Julien Macdonald was named the Artistic Director for Women in March of 2001. It is her job to manage women’s ready-to-wear, Haute-Couture, and accessories.

Mr. Macdonald is 28 years of age and comes to GIVENCHY after the establishment of his own company in 1997. Before this he was head of knitwear design at Chanel Couture. At first he wanted to be an actor but after realizing his love of fashion completed a Masters at the Royal college of Art.